PROJECT CODE: 000247

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MASS FAILURE OF

COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS IN SECONDARY
SCHOOLS IN ETHIOPE EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AREA OF DELTA STATE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover Page..i
Title Page...ii
Certification....iii
Dedication.iv
Acknowledgment......v
Abstract..viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1

Background of the Study ................................... 1

1.2

Statement of the Problem .................................. 5

1.3

Research Questions .......................................... 7

1.4 Purpose of the Study. 6

1.5

Significance of the Study ................................... 9

1.6

Scope and Delimitation of the Study .................. 11

1.7

Operational Definition of Terms ........................ 11

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CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1

Factors Responsible for Mass Failure in Computer

Science ............... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.2

Teachers Qualification/ Experience and Students

Performance in Computer ScienceError! Bookmark
not defined.

2.3

Teachers/Students Ratio and Mass Failure of

Students in Computer ScienceError!
Bookmark
not defined.

2.4

Use of Instructional Materials and Students

Performance in Computer ScienceError! Bookmark
not defined.

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS AND

PROCEDURES
3.1

Research Design ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.2

Population ............ Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.3

Sample/Sampling ProceduresError! Bookmark not

defined.

3.4

Research InstrumentError!
defined.

3.5

Validity of the InstrumentError!

defined.

3.6

Method of ReliabilityError! Bookmark not defined.

3.8

Method of Data AnalysisError!

defined.
ii

Bookmark
Bookmark

Bookmark

not
not

not

PROJECT CODE: 000247

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.1

Research Findings . Error! Bookmark not defined.

4.2

Discussion of the FindingsError!

defined.

Bookmark

not

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1

Summary ............. Error! Bookmark not defined.

5.2

Conclusion ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.

5.3

Recommendations . Error! Bookmark not defined.

5.4

Suggestions for Further StudiesError!

not defined.

Bookmark

References ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix ............. Error! Bookmark not defined.

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PROJECT CODE: 000247

ABSTRACT
The research work investigated factors associated with
mass failure of students in computer science in Ethiope East
Local Government Area of Delta State. Four research
questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide
the study. A questionnaire was used as an instrument for
collection of data, simple percentage was used to answer
the research questions while chi-square was used to
analyse the Hypotheses. The following findings were made:
that there is a significant relationship between the factors
responsible for mass failure and students performance in
computer science, there is a significant relationship
between teachers qualification/experience and students
performance in computer science. That there is a significant
relationship between teachers/students ratio and mass
failure of students in computer science. Finally, that there
is a significant relationship between the use of instructional
materials and students performance in computer science.
Based on the findings, recommendations were made.

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PROJECT CODE: 000247

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Educators have adopted examination as one of the
methods of determining students level of cognition with a
view to ascertain whether they have mastered what they
have

been

taught.

Odongo

(2006)

asserts

that

examinations serve as part of human culture readily

available to assess the effects of teaching and learning, to
distinguish

and

select

talented

people.

Onuka

and

Durowoju (2011) affirm that examination is most often

used for promotion, award or certification. As a result of
these benefits among others, for accurate measurement of
candidates performances, examinations must be reliable
and valid.
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PROJECT CODE: 000247

One of the major problems facing the educational
system in Nigeria is the abysmal failure of students in public
computer science, particularly at the secondary level of
education. According to Uduh (2009), the high percentage
of candidates who failed WASSCE yearly is reflected in the
low percentage of the candidates that meets the university
admission requirements. The situation is so pathetic that
stakeholders keep on wondering why this level of education
has

persistently

failed

to

meet

the

yearnings

and

aspirations of the society. Apart from the fact that the mass
failure of students in computer science constitutes wastage
on investment in secondary education, it puts a big
question mark on the quality of secondary education in the
country. Each time the results of students in Senior school

PROJECT CODE: 000247

Certificate Examination (SSCE) are released, it has been a
tale of woes and national embarrassment.
Concerns for high rate of failure in public examination
in Nigeria dates back to a number of decades. Ojaleye
(2000) and Bojuwoye (2000) revealed that researchers
have attempted to identify factors responsible for the high
rates of failure among others, students negative attitude
to the subject, lack of qualified teachers, inadequacy of
teachers, lack of necessary learning skills, specialised
language of the subject and inadequate and unsuitable
textbooks. In view of this, students were seen as the main
focus of most research work. They became subjects of
diagnoses aimed at discovering the appropriate treatment
of learning outcomes (Ojaleye 2000:95).

PROJECT CODE: 000247

Stakeholders have continued to trade blames on the
causes of mass failure of students in public examinations.
Some people shifted the blame on government, some on
parents, some on society and students themselves with the
teachers having lion share of the blame. As accusations and
counter-accusations on who to blame on the mass failure
of students will persist, the fact remains that all the
stakeholders have roles to play in solving the problem of
abysmal

failure

of

students

in

public

examinations.

Nevertheless, there is need to identify the major causes of

the problem with a view to providing lasting solutions. It is
against this backdrop that this study investigated the
factors associated with mass failure of students in computer
science in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta
State.
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PROJECT CODE: 000247

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Observations and reports from examining bodies like
WAEC, NECO and JAMB revealed that a high percentage of
secondary school students continue to perform poorly in
computer science examinations. Despite the laudable
efforts at developing an acceptable general computer
science curriculum students performance in the subject
appears to be declining over the years.
This sad situation is aptly described by Adeniyi (2008)
who rightly observes, that ones involvement in the
marking

of

computer

science

for

the

West

African

Examinations Council (WAEC) is enough to get anyone

sorrowful at the state of computer science in Nigeria
secondary schools. Some candidates submit their answer
scripts without writing anything in them. Some candidates
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PROJECT CODE: 000247

merely recopy the questions, while a high percentage of
those who try to write anything at all score below 40%. The
question that readily comes to mind is; what are the factors
associated with the students mass failure in computer
science in secondary school examination? This study will
therefore take a survey of the factors associated with mass
failure of students in computer science in Ethiope East Local
Government Area of Delta State.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors
associated with mass failure of students in computer
science in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta
State. Specifically, the study will focus on the following:
i.

Factors responsible for mass failure in computer

science
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PROJECT CODE: 000247

ii.

Teachers qualification/experience and students

performance in computer science

iii.

Teachers/students ratio and mass failure of

students in computer science

iv.

Use of instructional materials and students

performance in computer science

1.4 Research Questions

i.

What are the factors responsible for mass failure

in computer science?

ii.

Does teachers qualification/experience affect

students performance in computer science?

iii.

Is teachers/students ratio responsible for mass

failure of students in computer science?

PROJECT CODE: 000247

iv.

Does the use of instructional materials have any

effect on the students performance in computer
science?

Hypotheses
i.

There is no significance relationship on the

factors responsible for mass failure of students
performance in computer science

ii.

There is no significant relationship between

teachers qualification/experience and students
performance in computer science

iii.

There is no significant relationship between

teachers/students ratio and mass failure of
students in computer science

PROJECT CODE: 000247

iv.

There is no significant relationship between the

use of instructional materials and students
performance in computer science

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study will be of tremendous benefit to the
students, parents, teachers, school administrators and
educational policy makers.
The study will benefit the students in such a way that
they will understand the reasons behind their failures in
computer science examination and possible ways they can
help themselves in order to improve their performance.
The study will also help the parents since they will be
exposed to the factors associated with mass failure of their
children and how they can help the children outside the

PROJECT CODE: 000247

school system by providing study materials and conducive
environment for learning.
Teachers will equally benefit from this study being that
they will be exposed to the reasons behind the poor
performance of the students in computer science and the
possible ways they can assist the students to improve their
performance.
Furthermore,

the

study

will

benefit

school

administrators since they will understand areas to improve

on in order to enhance the performance of the students
especially in the areas of provision of instructional materials
which will facilitate teaching/learning process.
Lastly, the study will help educational policy makers
to know areas to focus on when making educational
policies.
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PROJECT CODE: 000247

1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The scope of this study will focus on the factors
associated with mass failure of students in computer
science. The study is limited to five (5) out of the twentysix (26) public schools in Ethiope East Local Government
Area of Delta State.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
Factors: A constituent or element that brings about certain
effects or results
Associated: To connect or involve with a cause
Mass Failure: The condition or fact of not achieving the
desired end or ends which involve a large number of
students

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PROJECT CODE: 000247

Secondary school students: These

are individuals

studying in a school meant for young people between the

ages of 11 to 16 years.
Local Government Area: This is an administrative
division of a country that is, the third tier of governments.

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PROJECT CODE: 000247

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